Room to Grow
by heartsbeentried
Summary: AU where Kurt and Blaine meet as little kids, and will progress to probably somewhere in season 2 or 3. I'm not sure how long this is going to be. Rating it T for possible themes later.
1. Gonna Be Something Someday

**A/N**

Ok, so when the idea for this story was first conceived, it was just a fluffy little thing. And now the characters have taken control of this, and it's no longer in my hands.

I was unsure of what to rate this. Like I said- started out as fluff but it's writing itself so who knows. Rated T just in case.

The beginning is kind of slower than I anticipated, so just keep in mind I wanted to focus on character development before getting carried away with other stuff. Writing kid!fic is a lot more challenging than I expected. Kudos to those of you who write it regularly.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to Someoneincrediblyclever for beta-ing. You are the Blaine to my Kurt.

I do not own Glee or any of the wonderful characters affiliated with the show.

Ok, I'm done ranting. Please enjoy. PLEASE REVIEW.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 1: Gonna Be Something Someday<em>**

He could barely see the top of the brick building from behind the car door. Mostly he saw the really big flag through the window, waving high on its pole. Kurt watched red, white, and blue dance across the sky while he waited for his mommy to come unbuckle his booster seat.

Today was Kurt's first day of kindergarten and he was very nervous. His mommy said there was no reason to be scared but he couldn't help it.

She squeezed his hand as they walked up the steps into the building. Kurt squeezed back three times; that means "I love you." He and mommy always did that. It was like their own special code that only they knew. Mommy looked down and smiled as she led him down a hall he recognized. They had been here before for the Open House where they got to meet his teacher, Miss Faye. Kurt's tense little shoulders eased a little bit when they walked into room nine and the smell of finger paint and play dough filled the air. It smelled like his playroom at home which seemed to calm his nerves a little bit.

Kurt was still scared because he didn't want his mommy to leave, but he wanted to see what other things the room had to offer. He didn't even notice he'd let go of Momma's hand as he took in the rest of the classroom. There was a rug with a road and city on it, and kids were driving cars on top of it; he saw children playing with beads and ribbon in another corner. But his eyes lit up when he saw the table in the center of the room and a tea set sitting right there in the middle.

He'd forgotten about Mommy completely as his little feet took him to that table, and he didn't even stutter when the little girl holding a pink and purple tea cup asked his name.

"Hi, I'm Shelby." the girl smiled sweetly. She had reddish hair, and rosy cheeks. "What's your name?"

"I'm Kurt. Kurt Hummel." Kurt liked saying his full name. He liked the way it sounded, and asked Mommy to teach him how to spell it and everything.

"Kurt Hummel, huh? That's a good name. Do you like to hummm, Kurt Hummmmel?" She asked this in a way that was not mean or teasing; actually, she almost sang it.

"Well, no, not really," he replied sheepishly. "But I do like to sing."

Shelby smiled and nodded and Kurt decided he really liked this Shelby. He didn't even feel nervous anymore, so he had no trouble sharing more with her about himself.

"Sometimes I sing with my mommy in the car. And sometimes we dance in the living room."

"Oh, I love to dance!" Shelby got up and did a pirouette. "At home I have a tutu and a wand and," she looked around them and whispered, "and I dance even if there's no music!"

They both giggled together, and Kurt decided Shelby was his friend. She grabbed his hand when Miss Faye asked the class to sit in a circle a few minutes later. They both grinned when they saw both of their names were on the triangle table and they got sit together in class.

A girl named Lily and a bigger boy named Jack also sat at their table. Kurt said hello to them both, but Lily seemed rather shy and the boy kind of made Kurt nervous. But he had Shelby, and they were friends. And that was fine with him.

This was Kurt's _first_ day of kindergarten. Even though he was absolutely thrilled to see his Mommy at the end of the day, he already couldn't wait for tomorrow to see Miss Faye and Shelby, and learn and play some more. Kurt liked kindergarten and had to laugh because it was silly for him to be so nervous before.

Kurt and Shelby had developed a routine during the first few weeks of school. At recess, they ate their snack by the cherry tree and then played with chalk or went on the swings. Every Friday, Shelby would let Kurt see what she brought for show-and-tell even though they were supposed to wait until after recess to share what they brought for show and tell.

This Friday, Shelby brought some of her dress up things she liked to dance in. Kurt couldn't help his eyes widen as she pulled out the some of the most elegant tutus he'd ever seen. His vision locked on the soft purple fabric with little flecks of silver glitter and ribbon casting down from a glitter waistband.

"My Nana made 'em for me," she explained.

"They're beautiful." Kurt says in awe. "Can I-" he reached his little hand out and Shelby lifted the fabric up to him.

"Can we-" he starts, but Shelby knew what he was thinking and is smiles and nods as she sticks one leg, and then the other into a second tutu from her backpack.

After they both slipped them on, they grabbed sticks from near their cherry tree to use as wands.

Kurt was having so much fun, gliding around the field with Shelby. This was the first time he'd ever played fairies with someone else. Usually, he played pretend like this with his stuffed animals at home. He decided he liked playing with another person better.

Kurt and Shelby were having such a good time, they flew all the way to the gate separating them from the big kid playground. They decided to catch their breath under a big pine tree, and Shelby began preparing a pretend meal out of it's needles and grass. Kurt looked around as he leaned up against the scratchy bark. He'd never payed much attention to the kids on the other side of the fence before. They all seemed much bigger than him. When he focused again on his friend, she was no longer busying herself with their play food. Shelby's face was pressed up against the fence and she was staring across the field towards the other playground.

"Um, Shelby? What are you looking at?" Kurt asked curiously.

It took a second for her to break her gaze, "I'm trying to find my brother. He's in first grade and I want to say hi."

This was the first time Shelby mentioned having a brother, and it made Kurt wonder what it'd be like to have one too. Maybe he would ask Mommy for one for his birthday.

"Well," Kurt began getting to his feet and standing by his friend. "What does he look like? Maybe I could help you find him."

"He-" Shelby began, still gazing across the field. Kurt didn't get to find out who he was, because at that moment, Miss Faye blew her whistle to call everyone back inside.

Kurt didn't know how it happened; one second, they were filing in from recess and the next, Jack had torn Shelby's tutu from Kurt's waist and the whole class was staring.

Kurt had completely forgotten he was wearing the tutu, so the shock of it being torn from his body really startled him. Then he realized he'd ruined his friends beautiful costume, and it was almost more than the little boy could take.

"Tutu's are for giiiiirrrls!" Jack shouted through spouts of laughter. Kurt felt his cheeks flush, he tried his best to blink away his tears, but they came anyway.

"That's enough, Jack." Miss Faye said as she approached the boys. She gave Kurt a gentle hug as she passed him, making her way towards Jack and holding out her hand for the purple material. Her attention focused on disciplining Jack and separating was now able to absorb the shock of what has happened and to start feeling again.

Kurt felt confused, embarrassed, and trapped. It was getting harder for him to breathe. He didn't realize his feet were moving until he got to the hallway outside the classroom. Before Miss Faye had a chance to follow him, he took off again.

His vision was blurred and his cheeks were cold and wet from tears as he ran through the halls. He wasn't sure where he was going; he made lefts and rights down random halls before eventually finding comfort under a clothed table.

He sat there against the wall, feet sticking out from under the fabric, with his forehead in his palms, trying to catch his breath and stop crying. Why couldn't he stop crying? He tried to block out the thoughts of all the laughter, the look on Jack's face, and all of his classmates just staring at him. He wondered if Shelby will ever talk to him again.

Kurt was so caught up in his thoughts and trying to muffle his sobs, that he didn't hear footsteps approaching. He didn't even realize he was not alone until he heard a quiet cough.

"_Uhm_."

He wiped his eyes and saw a pair of shoes in front of him. Instinctively, he pulled his own feet back under the table. The shoes outside shuffled and the tablecloth started to rise.

"Hey-um, are you ok?"

At first all Kurt saw was a dark brown mop. He blinked a few times and realized that it was in fact a boy before him, bending over to look under the table. The mop is not a mop, but this boys _hair_. Kurt continued to look upward, and his gaze locks on a pair of beautiful eyes as the boy brought himself level with Kurt. Kurt was staring. But he has never seen eyes that color before; a soft brown like caramel, with little flecks of green in them. These eyes are warm and comforting and they sat under eyebrows that kind of looked like triangles.

The boy before Kurt looked concerned and he knelt down next to him. "Are you ok?" he asks again. "What's wrong?"

Kurt doesn't know this boy, but there is something about him; maybe his big eyes, or his show of concern that makes Kurt want to trust him. He wants to tell him about how his whole class laughed at him. So he does. He starts to explain what happened, and this time it's easier to hold back tears.

"Did your teacher do anything?" Blaine asks, after Kurt finished.

"I don't know." he replied sheepishly. He began fidgeting with his shirt. "I ran out really fast."

"Well, she's probably looking for you. We better go back to your class before you get in trouble", the boy stood up and offered his hand to Kurt.

"I'm Blaine, by the way." he said as Kurt took his hand and stood up as well. "Blaine Anderson."

Kurt smiled at this. That this boy said his full name when he met people as well.

"I'm Kurt." He turned their grip into a handshake, "Kurt Hummel." Shaking hands and saying his full name made Kurt feel a little older, and braver.

"Kurt you know what?" Blaine smiled gingerly down at the kindergartener. "I- like tutus. And I- I think boys can wear them too."

This was all Blaine said as they walked through the halls back to room nine. Kurt took a great deal of comfort in the fact that Blaine didn't let go of his hand the whole time. As they neared the classroom, Kurt must have been showing signs of not wanting to re-enter because Blaine stopped and took his other hand.

"Kurt, it will be ok, I promise. Miss Faye is really nice, and you won't be in trouble." With that, he opened the door and nudged Kurt back into the room before he could change his mind or wonder when he would see Blaine Anderson again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Ok, this was like my first attempt at any type of fic, ever. I am kind of learning things as I go, and would appreciate your two cents. I now know what everyone means when they say reviews make their life! It would be most appreciated. :D


	2. Right Here, Right Now

**A/N**

Thank you guys for reading and reviewing. Your kind words are encouraging and helpful! I hope you enjoy this.

Thank you to my dear, dear beta- _someoneincrediblyclever_ for being so wonderful and giving me Courage.

I do not own Glee or anything its creators created.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Ch. 2 Right Here, Right Now<em>**

The sun shone in through the window, and woke Kurt up to its warm rays. Kurt rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. Last thing he could remember, he and Mommy were watching Aladdin on the couch. And now it was morning and he was in his bed. He wondered if Mommy was up yet, so he stifled a little yawn and he jumped out of bed to find her.

The second he walked in the hallway, he smelled it. Mommy must be making breakfast! He ran to the kitchen, and sure enough, there she was smiling down at him from the stove.

"Good morning, honey." She said, pouring some batter into the waffle iron. "I woke up with Daddy this morning before he left for the garage, and decided to make you some Mickey waffles." Her smile matched Kurts as she said this.

"Thank you, Mommy!" he made his way to the table, where there was already a bowl of fruit and yogurt waiting for him. He climbed onto the chair and popped a grape into his mouth as Mommy placed a Mickey on his plate. He ate his breakfast eagerly, wiggling his little feet above the ground.

Kurt took a bath and after trying on 3 shirts, he decided to go with a Power Rangers one because it was the same color as the new shoes Mommy bought him earlier that week. He brushed his teeth and his hair all by himself before walking back out to the kitchen.

"Well, look at you, handsome!" Mommy was dressed now, too, and drinking her coffee. "Let's hit the road!"

Kurt followed her out to the car, and as soon as they were both inside, she looked at him through the mirror and smiled. "Are you gonna be okay today? I hope this is a better day for you."

"Yes, Mommy, I'll be alright." Kurt smiled back at her. Mommy was really concerned about him, especially after Miss Faye called and told her about what happened the other day at school. But after talking with Mommy and Daddy about it that night at home, he really did feel better.

And for whatever reason, he hadn't told anybody about meeting Blaine. But Blaine had made him feel a lot better too.

He had looked for his new friend the day before at lunch time, and didn't see him. Maybe he would see Blaine today! He kissed Mommy goodbye and ran to line up for class.

* * *

><p>"Blaine! Blaine! Over here! BLAINE!"<p>

Kurt turned around quickly. What was going on?

He and Shelby were making mud pies by the fence and, "BLAINE!" Shelby was practically jumping up and down. "Kurt, look! It's my brother! I want you to meet him-Blaine!"

And sure enough, first-grader Blaine Anderson was jogging across the field towards the sound of his name.

Kurt was nervous.

He didn't know why, but he was nervous. Blaine was... Shelby's brother?

He got up and dusted off his knees as Blaine made his way toward them. "Um, Shelby-" Kurt began, but he was interrupted.

"Hiiii, Shelby! I could hear you from the tunnel slide and.. Oh, hi, Kurt!" The boy grinned brightly.

"Um, hi.." he said bashfully.

"Kurt!" Shelby grabbed his hand and wiggled it ecstatically. "You didn't tell me you knew my brother!"

"I- I didn't know he was your brother."

She chuckled, "Well, now you do!" She dropped his hand.

Blaine leaned up against the fence so that his forearms and forehead were pressed against it. He was playing with a stray curl and grinning down at them.

"Kurt and I met the other day.. Oh! I have that same shirt in green!" Kurt looked down at what he was wearing.

"This one?" he said pointing to his belly.

"Yeah! You like Power Rangers? I always pretend to be the Blue Ranger. Did you watch the episode where Goldar got a Zord and almost beat them!"

Kurt had indeed seen this episode and was glad that he had something like Power Rangers in common with Blaine. He looked up to the first-grader, and now that it had been a few days since they met, Kurt was kind of weary that he had been such a mess before. But Blaine didn't seem to hold that against him at all. So Kurt became more confident as he talked about Zords and villains with his friends until the bell rang to go back to class.

"Kurt, you have to come over soon so we can play!" Blaine hollered as he walked through the field backwards towards his class line.

"Yeah, Kurt," Shelby said, grabbing his hand and leading him back towards the kindergarten building. "We can all play together! Except I like playing princesses. Blaine doesn't like that as much and plays Power Rangers or ninjas more."

Well, Kurt thought that he'd really like to play both. But just the the fact that he'd been invited over and the thought of playing with Shelby and Blaine outside of school...he definitely had to tell Mommy about this.

* * *

><p>Kurt lifted a little hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. It might have been hot outside, but that didn't stop Kurt from running out the front door to the Suburban in the driveway.<p>

"Kurt, honey," Mommy hollered from the doorway, "you forgot your towel!" She smiled, shaking her head as she approached the car. Kurt was already inside waiting for her.

He was so excited! Because it was so, so hot out, Mommy and Mrs. Anderson agreed to have a play date. That meant Kurt was going over to Shelby and Blaine's house to play on the Slip-n-Slide and maybe, if he was brave enough, swim in the pool!

The ride to her house couldn't have been longer. Kurt was practically squirming in his booster as they pulled in to the driveway. Shelby was standing in the garage, holding an Otterpop for him.  
>He jumped out of the car and ran to meet her in the cool shade.<p>

"Hi, Kurt! I grabbed you cherry-flavored because I know you don't like it when your tongue turns cool colors." And this was true. Kurt couldn't explain it, but it just bothered him having a purple or blue or green tongue, he thought it was gross. He didn't realize he'd shared this opinion with his friend, but gladly accepted with a "thank you."

"Hello, Shelby." Mommy was walking into the garage. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fantastic! Now that my best friend is here!" She smiled up brightly, revealing a set of purplish teeth, clearly from all the grape Otterpops she'd eaten that day.

"Well, Kurt and I are both happy to be here. Where is your mother, dear?"

"Oh, she's in the kitchen. C'mon, Kurt. I want to give you the grand tour before we go swimming!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Her sticky fingers didn't bother Kurt much. Shelby was definitely the dominant personality in their friendship, but Kurt didn't mind because although he was usually quite shy, he was comfortable with her, and she seemed to understand him even when he didn't speak.

Kurt and Mommy followed her inside, happily accepting the air-conditioned temperature drop. As they made their way to the dining room, Kurt could hear people shouting happily in the next room over. He wanted to know what was happening in there, but as they left their mothers to greet each other, Shelby was already pulling him along towards a set of stairs.

"I want to show you my room!" Shelby exclaimed as they pranced up the stairs. And when they reached her doorway, oh boy, was Kurt amazed at what he saw.

The room was painted a very light purple and there was a bed in the far corner of the room. Starting above and draping over the bed was a light white canopy. There was a desk with a Barbie laptop on it, and ...Oh my. There was the biggest closet Kurt had seen in his whole short life. Shelby had to have known Kurt would appreciate this, and led him inside. There were white Christmas lights decorating the walls of the closet, and oh the clothes. Shoes and shirts and skirts and dresses. There was a whole wall just for necklaces and headbands that glittered. In front of this amazing wall was a trunk of dress-up clothes. Kurt, who hadn't said a word since arriving, just had to look at his friend. And then they were in a castle, having tea with swans and hiding from dragons.

After they had enough fun playing out fairy tales, they changed into their swimming suits and Kurt wondered for the first time where Blaine was.

His question was answered quickly, because there Blaine was right in the living room.

He was watching a game on TV with his daddy. Mr. Anderson was a tall man, with eyes just as piercing as Blaine's, but blue. He looked at the little ones as they entered, and then back at the game, cheering loudly.

Blaine got up off the couch and made his way toward them. "Hey! Are you guys done playing? Mom told me you were here, Kurt," Blaine's eyes were wide and sorry. "But Dad asked me to watch the game with him while you played princesses."

"That's alright," Kurt didn't want Blaine to feel bad, and by the look in his eyes, Kurt could tell Blaine felt really bad. "We can all play together now!" He said this brightly, hoping it made his friend feel better.

"We're going to play on the Slip-n-slide. Do you want to come?" Shelby tilted her head and waited for her brothers answer.

"Sure!" He looked over his shoulder at his dad, eyes still glued to the TV. "I'll be out when the game is over." He seemed less enthusiastic about this, but Blaine offered Kurt a little wave from the couch as Kurt and Shelby departed towards the backyard.

Shelby shut the sliding door behind them. They had barely stepped outside and the sun was already causing them to glisten. They ran tippy-toed to the Slip-n-slide quickly to prevent their feet from burning.

Kurt and Shelby were playing with the water for a while before their mommies brought out lunch. The little ones thanked their mothers and sat down to enjoy their sandwiches and juice. Kurt was picking the crust off his PB&J when Blaine walked out through the sliding door. Kurt heard him, and looked up to see who was coming out. Kurt smiled as Blaine came and sat next to him and grabbed a sandwich slice.

Shelby, who always ate so fast Kurt thought she probably had super powers, scooted out of her chair. "All done!" she smacked, licking her fingers. "I'm gonna go get some Barbies. I have the ones you can turn into Mermaids in the pool!" She was almost shaking with excitement as she told him this, and didn't wait for Kurt to respond before running back inside the house.

"I hope you get come over more often" said Blaine, after swallowing a big bite. Kurt looked up from his plate. "It's a lot better than when Shelby has girl friends over. All they want to do is play dress up princesses." He scoffed at this, and rolled his eyes.

And well, Kurt took a gulp of his food and looked at Blaine with a furrowed brow. He didn't know what to say. After all, he and Shelby had just played princesses today, and it had seemed like Blaine looked really sorry he'd missed out. And hadn't Blaine said he didn't mind tutu's that day they met? Blaine seemed not to mind that kind of stuff before, and now Kurt was confused.

"We -" Kurt played with some crumbs on his plate. "Shelby and me, played princesses though" he didn't look at his friend as he waited for a reply.

Blaine seemed to realized he'd hurt Kurt's feelings. "No," he began, "I didn't mean it like that!" He turned to face his friend. "I don't mind playing princesses. Well, I like being the prince though. But when Shelby's girl friends come over, they all chase me around because they want me to kiss them!" Blaine spoke these last two words slowly and his eyes widened, as if he was fearful the girls in his mind might pop out of nowhere and kiss him right then. "That's why I don't like when they come over. I don't want to kiss girls." He screwed up his face, repulsed at the thought. "Kissing is gross."

Kurt took this in and considered- Kurt played with girls a lot. Heck, Shelby was his best friend, wasn't she? He liked playing with girls. But none of them had ever tried to kiss him. But really, he had no idea what Blaine was talking about. Kurt didn't think kissing was gross. If it was, why did so many people do it?

"I don't think kissing is that gross." Kurt stated honestly, looking Blaine in the eye. "Kisses are a way to tell a person you love them." He nodded affirmatively. "I kiss my mommy every night before bed," he added for emphasis.

"Kissing your mom is different though. She's your mom... I don't know" he took a sip of juice. "Maybe you just need a couple girls chasing you around your own house for a kiss before you'll understand."

Before Kurt had a chance to think about this, Shelby came running out with Barbies in hand, "Guys, guys guess what! Our mommies made us more treats!" And sure enough, right behind her were their mothers carrying a tray of homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches.

"Here you go, kids" and the children were reaching for the treats before the tray even made it to the table.

Mommy came and stood next to Kurt. He took a bite of his dessert and beamed up at her. He reached for her hand and squeezed it three times. "I love you too," she said, and squeezed his tiny hand with each word. She kissed him on the forehead. "You guys have fun -Oh, Julie, we have to get a picture of this!"

Kurt turned around to see what she was talking about. He giggled when he saw Shelby, already almost finished with her treat, and Blaine, face covered in ice cream, with chocolate in his teeth smiling back at Kurt.

Kurt, even at his young age, didn't understand how someone could be that messy. And as the three of them huddled in to take a picture, he was aware that Blaine was trying not to get him sticky. Except for on his arm, where he had reached to squeeze Kurt into the photo. Kurt thought he could live with a little sticky arm. As long as no one touched his hair.


	3. When Those Stars Burn Out

**A/N **

Sorry for the long wait! Thank you guys for being so patient. Hopefully I won't take as long to update in the future. This is a relatively short chapter, but I plan on making up for that later.

As always, thank you to my sweet, kind, wonderful beta, _someoneincrediblyclever._ Without her help and encouragement, I wouldn't have the guts to publish my writing.

I don't own Glee or any of its original characters. They belong to Rmurph and team.

Title of this chapter is taken from the song _She is Love_ by Parachute.

Sorry for the lack of Blaine in this chapter, he'll be back soon, I promise.

Okay, I think that's all. Please enjoy, and review, review, REVIEW!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 3: When Those Stars Burn Out<em>**

And that was how things were. Kurt and Shelby and Blaine. At school, they might've been separated by grade or classroom, but outside of school, it was always the three of them. Kurt was at their house, or they were over at his. Sometimes Kurt had to choose who to play with if the siblings wanted to do separate things, but it was okay, because they never got offended when Kurt chose the other.

When Kurt wasn't with his friends, he was with his mommy. They continued to have sing-offs and dance parties; and it was still something they shared together and with no one else. Each morning, when she dropped him off at school, Kurt still kissed her goodbye, even when the other little boys stopped and said it was gross. Kurt loved his mommy; she had been his very first best friend, even before Blaine and Shelby.

At bedtime, Kurt slowly began to take over for Mommy, reading the stories. He loved to read. He'd open a book, and suddenly, he was in a whole different world. He'd be on the streets of London (even though he didn't really know where that was), or climbing trees in the jungle, or flying on a magic carpet. He read to Mommy every night, and his Daddy too, when he'd get home early from the garage. By the time he reached third grade, Kurt didn't need help reading anymore; knew all the words in the books he read.

* * *

><p>His class had just been let out for recess, and he wasn't doing anything against the rules, so Kurt was really confused when he saw Mr. Donnell walking quickly towards him from across the playground. Kurt was about to question him when he noticed his teachers face. His expression looked serious, but not angry. Unsure of himself, Kurt waited for his teacher to speak.<p>

"Kurt. I'm going to need you to come with me." The teacher did not wait for Kurt to reply or question him, but placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and guided him back towards the classrooms.

But they passed the classroom.

"Kurt, something has happened..." He looked down at the boy with sorry eyes as they walked. "And you're going to be leaving school early today" he said, holding open the door to the office. "Mrs. Anderson is here to pick you up."

Kurt was confused. Sure, Mrs. Anderson had picked him up plenty of times before, but it was always after school, not during. And Mom had always reminded him the day of. As Kurt walked into the office, he couldn't remember his mother telling him anything about Mrs. Anderson, or getting picked up early.

"But, Mr. Donnell, why? I mean, my mom didn't sa-"

And if Kurt was confused before, he was absolutely befuddled now. Because Mr. Donnell was right. There was Blaine and Shelby's mom sitting by the fake plant in the front of the office. She looked up when the door shut behind them, and Kurt saw her eyes were swollen and pink.

"What?" Kurt didn't know what was going on. Why was Mrs. Anderson crying?

She got up and met them half way and as soon as she was close enough, she bent down on her knees, making herself eye-level with Kurt. She sniffed, and grabbed Kurt's confused little face with two gentle palms. "Kurt, honey," she said, new tears forming in her already wet eyes. "Oh, Kurt. It's going to be okay."

What was going to be okay? She hugged him as he wondered this aloud.

"Oh, Kurt," she didn't let go of her embrace. "Kurt, it's your mom."

His stomach dropped.

"Wh, what? What about her?" What about his mom? What about his heroine, the perfect mother who never let anything bad happen to him? What about his mother had caused her best friend, his best friends mother, to show up here crying? What about her?

Mrs. Anderson backed away from the hug, but kept one hand gently on his arm while she used the other to wipe her tears. She met his gaze.

She shuddered. "There.. there's been an accident." She waited a second, then repeated herself, as if to make sure Kurt heard her correctly. "Kurt, there was an accident. You're mom was in an accident. And we're going to the hospital."

And then Kurt blacked out.

* * *

><p>He'd been awake the whole time. But Kurt knew this because he was told so later. The things he could remember were blurry, but sharp and clear at the same time.<p>

He remembers being pulled out of the car. Not his car. By his mom. No, not his mom. They were going to see his mom. Here. At the hospital.

He sees her. His perfect mother, completely broken. His hero, bruised and bloody. She looks more like a mummy than his mommy.

She can't talk. Daddy said she can't talk. But he talks to her.

_Mommy, Mommy. Can you hear me? Mommy? Wake up. Are you okay? Please wake up._

Nothing.

He climbs up on the bed. He tries to wrap her arm around himself. But there's wires. He can't make her hug him. He cries into her shoulder. _Why won't you wake up?_

Kurt doesn't understand. It looks like she's just sleeping. She can't be... She's sleeping. He can see her chest moving up and down. She's just sleeping.

_Mommy. Mommy please wake up. Mommy I love you. I love you, Mommy._

He squeezes her hand three times.

Nothing.

He squeezes her hand three times.

Nothing.

He squeezes her hand again and again.

He squeezes _ILoveYouILoveYouILoveYou_ until he can't count. Until everything feels heavy. Until everything around him goes black.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	4. Closer to Me

**A/N**

Hello dear readers! First and foremost, thank you for subscribing, faving, and reviewing! I can't believe it, you guys are incredible. Second, sorry it has been so long. When I started this, I made sure school was my first priority, and that's basically the reason for the delay. So while that's going swimmingly, you all have been left waiting. :/

I am doing my best to convey the thoughts and emotions of an eight year old boy here, something I have no experience in. So I hope that the characters in this story are believable and true.

This is my first time posting without the help of my beta, so apologies if this wreaks. **Please, please, please review and tell me what you think!**

Wihout further ado, Klainers, I give you chapter 4!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 4: Closer to Me<strong>_

Everything around him was shaking. Pictures were falling from the walls and Kurt was trapped on his bed. Someone was calling his name. He could hear it. It was like they were far away, yelling it through a tunnel. But there was no tunnel in his room. In fact, there was nothing at all. He looked for who was calling him, but the light had gone and he couldn't see anything. He heard his name again, louder and closer now, but couldn't see in the black.

"Mommy?" He felt someone touching his arm, and realized it was dark because his eyes were closed.

"Kurt." He heard again. His eyes, heavy from tears and restless sleep, fluttered open. "Son, we need to talk." His father was sitting on the side of his bed. Kurt realized he must have been dreaming, but he didn't even remember falling asleep. Reality of the days before began to sink in as he looked up at his father. He rubbed his eyes to help himself focus and noticed they were wet, and he wondered if he had been crying in his sleep. He sniffled, and sat up against his pillow.

"Uhm, okay," his voice scratchy from lack of use.

"Kurt," Burt looked at his son and sighed. Reaching forward, he grabbed both of Kurt's hands in his. Kurt had never held his dad's hands like this before; only when they crossed the street or something. The action woke him up as his dad began. "I'm not good at this kind of thing, so.. I'm just gonna jump in." Kurt looked up at his father, whose eyes were pink and swollen too, and waited patiently for him to continue.

Burt stared back, and when he spoke, his voice was firm but gentle, and Kurt knew that his father had taken time to think about what he was going to say. "Things are gonna be...well, they're gonna be different now." Kurt heard his dads voice crack, and fidgeted with a fold in the sheet. "Your mom... your mom is... gone. And there's nothing we can do to change that... And it's okay to feel sad, or lonely, or scared. Heck, I feel all of those things too, ya know?" He placed a calloused finger under Kurt's chin, willing him meet his gaze. "I guess what I'm tryn'a say is..." he furrowed his brow, and Kurt saw something in his eyes that he'd never seen before. They were softer; aching.

"I know how much you love her. I know you're gonna miss her... That you already do, and.. and that it hurts a lot... But you're a part of her, you know that?" He cupped a hand around Kurts cheek. "You have some of her inside of you. And you might not see that now, but God, I see it every day and Kurt, you have to find her strength inside there somewhere." He placed a hand on his sons chest and smiled down at him through watery eyes. "It's gonna be tough. There probably won't be a day that you won't miss her...I _hope_ there isn't a day... But she'd... she'd want us to be happy. And I know how much she loved you, and I could never be half as good she was to you, but I'm sure as hell gonna try. Cause you've... you've got me, alright?" He pulled Kurt into his chest, wrapping both arms around his small frame, and kissed the top of Kurt's head.

Kurt hugged him back. Tears streaming down his face, he couldn't think of words to say...

The things his dad said, the emotion behind them, were new to Kurt. His dad had never really showed his feelings often. But despite their lack of conversation, Kurt always knew his dad loved him. And now he could _feel_ it. He could feel his dad holding him, and accepted the warmth not only of the embrace, but the love behind it. Kurt hugged back, murmuring a "thanks dad" as he buried his face into his fathers chest.

They sat like that for an undeterminable amount of time, lost in their grief, yet trying to comfort one another, until the phone rang and Burt went to go answer it.

Kurt laid in his bed, listening to his fathers voice murmur through the hall. His dad returned to the doorway a few minutes later, phone in hand, with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Hey ah, why don't you go ahead and get cleaned up a bit. Some... people are coming over."

* * *

><p>Kurt was slipping a shirt over his still-wet hair when the doorbell rang. Dad hadn't told him who there visitors were, but Kurt was more anxious than not because his dad's expression made him feel like he should be happy for this company. And he could count on one hand the people he'd be happy to see.<p>

He tip-toed down the stairs, calculating each step before making his presence known. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to act. The shower hadn't washed away the ever-present feelings of loss for his mother; he was still fighting the overwhelming feeling that they'd sweep over him again in an instant. But at the same time, he really wanted to see his best friend. He'd allowed himself to hope it'd be Blaine coming over. Blaine, ever since the day they met, had always made Kurt feel better. And Kurt really wanted to feel better.

He heard what sounded like a woman's voice in the next room, muted through the wall between them, and he continued towards the entryway.

Kurt stretched his left foot out first, then slowly revealed the rest of his body in the doorway of the kitchen. His dad was accompanied by two others, but was the Kurt could identify. The woman had her back turned to him and was speaking in a whispered voice, and obstructing his view of the third figure at the table.

Nobody had heard him approach. He coughed softly to announce his presence, and the woman stopped talking. She turned around at the sound, and when she stood up to give Kurt a hug, he saw the third figure at the table.

The tears were already running down his cheeks before he realized he was crying, and Mrs. Anderson just held him like that. She was whispering comforting words in his ear, but he didn't hear any of it. All Kurt could see or hear or think was Blaine. And how Blaine was right there, and not only was he here, he'd gotten up and was approaching him.

He blinked a few tears away, and saw that Blaine was teary too. He was overcome with emotion as Mrs. Anderson let go, and Blaine grabbed his hand. He looked towards the doorway wordlessly suggesting they leave the kitchen. That action alone was something Kurt had been waiting for. To have someone who knew what he wanted without even asking. Blaine lead them to Kurt's bedroom, and after the door was shut, Kurt let yet another tidal wave of emotions knock him out.

He couldn't speak through his sobs, though he tried. But Blaine just sat there, hugging him, holding his hand, waiting. They stayed like that for a long time, until finally Kurt felt like he'd cried all the water out of his body.

He opened his eyes and realized for the first time he was laying on the floor. There was a blanket over him, and his pillow was... moving. Kurt lifted his head and saw his pillow was actually Blaine's tummy, and he'd stained his gray shirt with tears.

"Oh, Blaine! I've ruined your shirt. I'm so sorry." He sat up to look at his friend apologetically.

Blaine, who was propped up on actual pillows against the nightstand, raised a triangular eyebrow. "Sorry? For getting my shirt wet? Um, Kurt it's alright." He chuckled softly, scratching the back of his head with one hand and grabbed one of Kurt's with his other. "Are you feeling a little better? You fell asleep for a little bit. Our parents came in and said I could stay the night, but if you want I can g-"

"-No, no.. Please don't go." Kurt couldn't let him finish that sentence. Now that Blaine was there, Kurt couldn't think about being away from him again. He couldn't explain it, but it was like Blaine was the only good thing he'd felt in the past five days. Yes, his dad had been with him the whole time, and their talk this afternoon had made him feel better. But on some level his father's presence continually reminded him of his mother's absence. But Blaine was the only person, aside from his mother, who could comfort Kurt just by being there. "Please stay. I feel better now that you're here." He looked up at his friend, who had relaxed a little and was smiling softly at him.

"Well, ok, if that's what you want. I just... well.. do you want to talk about it?" He didn't ask if everything was alright, because of course it was not. And Kurt knew Blaine wanted to hear what he was thinking and feeling, so he tried to gather his very scattered and overwhelming thoughts.

"Uhm. Well, I.. I really do feel better. Sorry all I've done is-"

And then it was Blaine's turn to interrupt his friend. "Kurt. You have nothing to apologize for. You have every reason to feel... whatever you're feeling. I can't even think about it or I start crying too. If you want don't want to talk about it, that's ok. But I'm here if you do. I am here to listen... or not. I just wish there was something more that I could do, but since there's not, I can just be... here." He never broke eye contact, piercing his warm toffee-brown's through Kurt's aqua-blue's, all the way to his heart, warming that too.

Kurt knew that Blaine wanted to understand, so he tried his best to explain. He started at the very beginning, from when Mr. Donnell brought Kurt to the office, to the hospital, to when he was torn away from Mommy, to the memorial service where everyone was dressed in black, to all the time alone with his dad and their talk, to this very moment.

Kurt tried his best not to cry, so that Blaine could understand the things he was saying. But every now and then a sob snuck in there, and Blaine waited quietly for him to continue, or cried a little with him, never letting go of his hand.

"It used to just feel like... emptiness.. before. That night, when we got home. Daddy would say stuff to me, and I couldn't hear him. But now it's like.." he struggled, trying to express his emotions with words. "It's like.. I still feel empty. But now there's other things too." He bit his lip. He couldn't say it right. How was he supposed to explain something he didn't even understand himself? He missed his mom. He couldn't think about her without aching. He ached a lot. Everything reminded him of her. But now he'd spent more time with his dad than probably in his whole life. And even though things were completely terrible, this was something they finally had in common. They both lost her. But they had each other.

"Like, what kinds of things? Kurt?" Blaine was looking at him encouragingly, pulling him back into the conversation. Oh yeah, he had been saying something.

"I can't really explain it. I.. I don't know how long it's going to be like this. Maybe forever. But if my dad is right, and if she is a part of me, then I've gotta be happy again someday, right? She was the happiest person I know, and when I think of her, it's always happy. But then I remember we will never have that again, and that's the part that I can't stand. I just.. I don't know." He knew he probably wasn't making any sense. But it was nice to put it all into words. Talking it all out had kind of loosened the knot he hadn't realized formed in his chest. And now he was incredibly tired, and for the first time in days, he wanted to sleep.

He got up and pulled out his pajamas, tossing Blaine an extra pair, and left to go brush his teeth. When he came back into his room, he saw his friend setting up a makeshift bed on the floor beneath his. "Blaine, what are you doing?"

Blaine looked up at him from the mess of blankets. "Um, I thought we were going to sleep."

"Well yeah, but what are you doing on the floor? You can't sleep there." He picked up the blankets and threw them and himself on his bed, leaving Blaine sitting there with just a pillow.

"Oh. Um, I didn't know.. Where should I..?"

Kurt just stared at him, eyebrow raised. "Up here, of course." He rolled his eyes. "My back is sore just from being down there tonight. You can't sleep down there all night, it would ruin your spine. You're sleeping in my bed with me." He said this so matter-of-factly Blaine got up immediately and Kurt scooted to make more room.

The truth was they'd never had a sleepover before without Shelby. Usually they made a fort of some sort and camped out together. But since it was only Blaine tonight and, given the circumstance, Kurt really didn't want to sleep alone.

"Thank you, Blaine." He yawned, turning off the light.

"For what?" Blaine whispered beside him in the darkness.

"For.. everything. For being my friend.. for being here."

"Well, you're my best friend."

"You're mine too."

Kurt wanted to say that he was more than that. But what was better than 'best'? He was to emotionally and physically exhausted to try and come up with a title for Blaine, but he knew 'best' didn't even scratch the surface of how grateful to have Blaine. He lay there thinking about this, letting his friends presence both figuratively and literally warm him as he fell asleep.


End file.
